The present invention relates to a hand cart for transporting and installing toilets.
Heretofore, transportation and installation of toilets has been an awkward and cumbersome operation, normally requiring at least two men to carry and precisely fit the toilet at an installation site. Because the toilets are generally heavy and rather cumbersome to carry, workers are often injured and there is an extensive amount of breakage of the toilet itself because of mishandling.
Cart devices for both lifting and transporting heavy articles are known in the prior art. For example, the patent to Williams (U.S. Pat. No. 1,820,263), shows a truck for transporting annular objects, such as wheels, including a wheeled cart and a hand operated screw jack for lifting the wheels onto the cart frame. Another patent of interest is that to Davis, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,147), which shows a lifting and transporting cart for outboard motors, including a hand truck structure having a jack member which lifts and positions an outboard motor, enabling it to be attached to the back of a boat. Another patent of interest to Swallows (U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,627) shows a motor transport and worktable cart, including a base having front and rear wheels and an upright column, supported by the base, which in turn supports a platform for up and down movement by means of a winch. Other similar patents showing lifting devices combined with hand trucks or hand carts are disclosed in the patents to Sagert (U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,595), Ju (U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,065) and Berg (U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,659).
The present invention relates to a hand truck for lifting and transporting toilets, including a wheeled base, open at one end permitting straddling of the toilet, an elevator mechanism including a hand operated jack and a unique bowl engaging grapple and rim clamp, permitting a wide variety of toilet configurations to be securely gripped and lifted by the unit.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provisions of an improved hand cart for lifting and transporting toilets, requiring a minimum amount of manpower and eliminating costly bodily injuries and product damage.
Another object is the provision of a hand cart for lifting and transporting toilets, including a unique toilet gripping and lifting mechanism, which enables a toilet to be securely held during the lifting and transporting process.